Selvages for woven fabrics



Dec. 29, 1959 K. J. HALL SELVAGES FOR WOVEN FABRICS Original Filed July 16, 1958 INVENTOR KENNETH J. HALL Mam/117M ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,918,949 SELVAGES FOR WOVEN FABRICS Kenneth J. Hall, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Corporation, Worcester, Mass., a corpora- 6 Claims. (Cl. 139-383) This application is a division of my prior application Serial No. 748,892, filed July 16, 1958, which application relates to a method and apparatus for making a selvage more particularly for looms which weave fabrics of the type in which the weft threads are discontinuous and are drawn from a stationary outside weft supply. This div1s1onal application relates particularly to a selvage for a woven fabric, said selvage being shown but not claime inthe above identified original application.

In weaving fabrics of the type mentioned above, one of the problems is to provide a selvage sufliciently strong to hold the edge selvage warps so that they can withstand the lateral forces imposed on them during operations per formed on the fabric during and subsequentto weaving. It has been proposed, heretofore, to turn the weft ends in and thereby produce a semi-woven selvage but this results n a thickening of the edges of the cloth which in some instances is objectionable. It has also been proposed to use ordinary leno for the selvage warps, but so far as known leno or warp crossing has not produced suflicient bending or crimping of the weft threads to enable them to hold the selvage warps in place during the operations which follow Weaving.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a selvage including two pairs of selvage warp threads one pair of which may be designated as crossing warps and the other pair as noncrossing warps and interweave these warps with the weft threads by passing the It is a further object of the invention to provide four I selvage warps which are all interconnected to each other .by the weft I11 such manner that a force applied to any one of them tending to displace it laterally will be resisted by the remaining three warps due to the holding I effect of the weft threads.

A still further object of the invention is to form the selvage in a manner such that the selvage warps deform the weft threads and cause them to bewrapped securely around certain of the selvage warps and in close holding in a manner to bind the selvage warps tightly to the main selvage warp 14 will Pass between the noncrossing warps body of the fabric.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example the embodiments of the in?- vention and in which: r

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary'plan view of one formof fab ric made according to the present invention,-thevarious threads of the fabric being separated for clarity of illust me? Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections on lines 2'2 and 5 l to the showing of Fig. 2.

3 3 respectively, Fig. 1, showing the conditions of bending in two adjacent weft threads,

Figs. 4 to 6 are diagrammatic views showing the relative positions of the selvage warps resulting in the kind of weft bending shown in Fig. 2,

Figs. 7 to 9 are views similar to Figs. 46 but showing the kind of weft bending shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 10 is a plan view somewhat similar to Fig. 1 showing the top of the fabric in which the crossing of the selvage warps is emphasized, and

Fig. 11 is a bottom plan view of the fabric shown in Fig. 10.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the fabric, generally indicated at F, has warp and weft threads shown generally at 10 and 12 respectively to form the body of the fabric having at the right side thereof a selvage generally indicated by the letter S. The selvage S, of course, is capable of being duplicated at the left side of the fabric as well as the right side, but it is deemed only necessary to show and describe the selvage on the right side since both selvages are the same. The body of the fabric F, in the present instance, is shown as a plain weave, but his to be understood that the invention is not limited toplain weaves and that the body of the fabric may be a fancy weave if desired, the present invention capable of being utilized with plain or fancy weaves. It is to be noted that the various warp and weft threads 10 and 12 respec tively are separated from each other in an exaggerated manner for th'e sake of clarity and that they normally will be in close proximity to each other.

Referring again to Fig. 1, the warp threads 10 are spef cifically indicated as Al-A6 inclusive and the weft threads 12 are specifically indicated as WI-WVI inclusive, these warp and weft threads forming, as illustrated in Figs. 1, l0 and 11, only a portion of the whole fabric. The selvage S includes warp threads 14, 15, 16 and 17 so interrelated with the weft threads WI-WVI as to produce a tight friction holding relation between the warp and weft threads as described hereinafter.

Figs. 4 to 6 show three successive steps in the bending or deformation of the weft to form the selvage according In these figures, the selvage warps 14-17 are shown in exaggerated size in order that appropriate surface shading may represent different colors, this being done in order to clearly illustrate the selvage. Thus, warp 14 is shown as blue, warp 15 as green, warp 16 as yellow, and warp 17 as red. The blue and green warps 14 and 15 respectively are designated herein as the crossing warps and the yellow and red warps 16 and 17 respectively represent noncrossing warps. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to colored selvage warp threads and that threads having various characteristics may be used.

In Fig. 4 the crossing warps 14 and 15 are below weft thread WI and spaced vertically with respect to each other. The weft thread WI represents the usual pick of filling which has been passed between these two pairs of selvage warps. In Fig. 5, it is assumed that the two pairs have approached each other so that warp 14 cooperates with Warp 17 to produce a bend in the weft WI as clearly shown. From the position shown in Fig. 5,

from the right to the left and a short time later the other crossing warp 15 will pass between the noncrossing warps from left I 'to right thereby producing bends in the weft WI as shown-in Fig. 6. The mechanism utilizedto J effect movement of the selvage warps 14'-17 in all instances illustrated herein is fully set forth in my co-pend? ing application mentioned hereinbefore. 1

Fig. 6 shows thatthe weft WI has had two loops Wu and Wla produced in it. These loops are formed by three parts a, band c of the weft thread WI which pass between noncrossing warp 16 and crossing warp 15. The loop Wa around warp 14 is formed by the uprnost part a and intermediate part b of the weft WI, whereas loop Wb around warp 17 is formed by the intermediate part b and the bottom part c of the weft. The weft for this particular pick is therefore passed between two of the selvage warps 15 and 16 and around two other selvage warps 14 and 17.

On the next pick or on weft thread WII, the sequence of operation of the selvage warps will be as shown in Figs. 79 wherein the two noncrossing warps l6 and 17 are down and the crossing warps 14 and 15 are up with the weft thread WII passing between the pairs of warps. In this operation, the selvage warps will move from the position of Fig. 7 through that shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 9, the crossing warps again passing between the noncrossing warps and producing in weft WII two loops We and Wd around the two selvage warps 16 and 15 respectively which had not been looped by the previou weft WI. Weft WII will have three parts a, b and c similar to parts a, b and c of weft WI. Figs. 7 to 9 show three successive steps in the crimping or deformation of the weft according to the showing of Fig. 3.

In this mode of operation therefore all four selvage warps will be looped by weft threads, one weft looping two selvage warps and another weft looping the other two warps, thereby producing a tight frictional holding relation referred to above between the wefts and the selvage warps. As the selvage is being formed, weft threads W111 and WIV and WV and WVI will progressively be looped and a crimp formed therein in the same manner as threads WI and WII respectively.

In Figs. 10 and 11 the bends in the threads and the spaces between them are purposely exaggerated for illustration purposes. Fig. 10, which is a top plan view of a fabric somewhat similar to that shown in Fig. 1, shows the selvage warps with surface shading corresponding to the colors of the warps shown in Figs. 4-6. In Fig. 10 the weft threads are indicated similar to that shown in Fig. 1 at WI, WII, etc. and the body warp threads are similar to that shown in Fig. l at A1, A2, etc. The four warp selvages LL17 are at one edge of the fabric, and it will be seen that these threads are so interrelated with the weft threads that both the noncrossing warps will pass under one weft thread and over the next weft thread and that both of the crossing warps are over the one weft thread and under the other and there is a crossing of the noncrossing and crossing warps with re spect to each other which takes place between adjacent weft threads, all to the effect to produce a very tight selvage.

In Fig. 11, which shows a bottom plan of the fabric shown in Fig. 10, it will be seen that the selvage warps are arranged relative to the wefts in an order the inverse of that described with respect to Fig. 10. As an example, the yellow and red warps, 16 and 17 respectively, at the bottom of Fig. 10 pass over weft WI whereas in Fig. 11 the corresponding crossing warps 14 and are over weft WI but thereunder with respect to Fig. 10. For the next weft thread WII, the crossing warps are over this weft in Fig. 10 and as shown in Fig. 11 the noncrossing warps are over weft WII but thereunder with respect to Fig. 10 and cross between the crossing warps between wefts WI and WII.

It is not thought necessary to illustrate all forms which the invention can take since variations in tensions of the selvage warp and weft will make some difference in the appearance of the selvage. For instance, if the warps shown in Fig. 10 should be placed under high tension they would tend more nearly to take the positions shown in Fig. 1. As illustrated in the above-mentioned application, each selvage warp may have a tension device by which its tautness can be adjusted. Experience with the type of selvage set forth herein indicates that variations in thetensions of both the weft and the warpselvages may produce slight differences in general appearance but without materially affecting the holding relation of the weft and selvage warp threads.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the invention sets forth an improved selvage for a woven fabric wherein two pairs of selvage warps act to produce marked bends to form loops in the weft threads to enable the latter to hold the selvage warps and resist their removal in operations to which the fabric is subjected during and following the forming of the fabric. Also, the invention sets forth a pair of crossing and a pair of noncrossing warp threads so interrelated with each other and the weft threads during the formation of the selvage as to tightly interlock the selvage warps and the various weft threads. to the main body of the fabric. The invention further sets forth an improved fabric and selvage which in practice has been found quite satisfactory and possessed of a strong but simple selvage which resists r-aveling to a marked degree.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention and in what manner the same is to be made, what is claimed is:

1. In a selvage for a fabric having body warp threads and separate weft threads, a pair of noncrossing selvage warps, a pair of crossing selvage warps, a weft thread having a loop around one of the noncrossing warps and also having a loop around one of the crossing warps, the weft thread having three parts which pass between the other noncrossing and other crossing selvage warps, two of said parts forming the loop around the noncrossing warp and passing between said crossing warps, and one of said two parts and the third part forming the loop around the crossing warp and passing between said noncrossing warps.

2. In a fabric including weft threads, a pair of noncrossing selvage warps at one edge of the fabric, a pair of crossing selvage warps also at said one edge, the warps and two adjacent weft threads being so related that both of the noncrossing warps pass under one of said weft threads and over the other weft thread and both crossing warps are over said one weft thread and under said other weft thread and one of said crossing warps crosses over one and under the other of said crossing warps crosses over one and under the other of said noncrossing warps between said weft threads and the other crossing warp crosses over one of the noncrossing warps and over the other crossing warp between said weft threads, one of said weft threads being looped around one of said noncrossing and around one of said crossing warps and the other weft thread being looped around the other noncrossing and the other crossing warp threads.

3. In a fabric including weft threads, a pair of noncrossing selvage warps at an edge of the fabric, a pair of crossing selvage warps also at said edge, the warps and two adjacent weft threads being so related that between said two weft threads both crossing warps pass between the noncrossing warps, and one of said two weft threads passes over both noncrossing warps and under both cross ing warps and the other of said two weft threads passes under both noncrossing warps and over both crossing warps.

4. The fabric set forth in claim 3 wherein one of said two weft threads is looped around one of said crossing and one of said noncrossing warps and the other of said two weft threads is looped around the other crossing and other noncrossing warps.

5. The fabric set forth in claim 3 wherein one of said two weft threads extends from the center of the woven fabric over and around one of said noncrossing'warps and the other of said two weft threads extends from the center of the fabric under and around the other of said noncrossing warps.

6. In a fabric including weft threads, a pair of noncrossing selvage warps at one edge of the fabric, a pair of crossing selvage warps also at said one edge, the .warps 5 6 and two adjacent weft threads being so related that both one of the noncrossing and around one of the crossing of the noncrossing warps pass under one of said weft selvage warps and the other weft thread is looped around threads and over the other weft thread and both crossing the other noncrossing and around the other crossing warps are over said one weft thread and under said other selvage warp. weft thread and one of said weft threads is looped around 5 No references cited. 

